Humility

I recently learned a lesson in humility, and after some theological reflection, it’s really sinking in.

First of all, I’ve realized that the biggest enemy of humility is an attitude of entitlement. If we think that we are entitled something then it will be impossible for us to be humble about it. This goes especially for how we are being treated by others. Too often we feel that everybody should treat us with 100% respect (which wouldn’t be bad if they did:). So, when we are treated with anything less, we often lose our cool and get ticked!

So, there’s two things that we must understand when dealing with people who treat us bad. First (and least of all) we must understand that we don’t treat everyone with 100% respect (although we ought to strive for it)! Think about it...if we don’t treat others with respect do we deserve to be respected by others? I’d say that’s a big fat NO! [We also see the “Golden Rule” coming into play here: treat others as you wish to be treated (Jesus in Matthew 7:12)].

Second, even if we do truly and honestly deserve 100% respect from everyone b/c we give it and we’re awesome ppl and we’ve never done anyone wrong in the least bit, we must remember God who is holy, who’s never done anything wrong throughout human history, who has angels worshiping, honoring, and glorifying Him continually, forever. One picture of Him in heaven was described like this: “And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ ” (Rev. 4:8). Isaiah 6:1-8 also give a crazy account of God’s holiness. This is describing a God who is worthy of ALL praise, ALL honor, and ALL respect. Yet, He humbled himself before us. He humbled Himself FOR us. When we didn’t deserve anything from him but eternal separation, He showed His great love for us. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

God humbled himself even when we did Him wrong.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

God could have destroyed us b/c we don’t treat Him as He ought to be treated. Instead He humbled Himself, died for us, loves us, and now accepts us into His family.

So, when we’re in a situation where someone is disrespecting us we need to remember that to be humble IS to be godly. Paul said, “When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly” (1 Corinthians 4:12). This verse ought to sum up every relationship we have.